I AM JAMIE HANDS

At the age of ten, our family got our first glimpse at what the illusive words ‘Personal Computer’ meant. Most memorably, the computer was purchased to install one of the most advanced flight simulators available at the time – Microsoft’s Flight Simulator ’95. I was instantly lost in the new world that opened up before me.

And the older I got, the wider that world became.

At the age of twelve, I built my own computer. The components and software packages were hand-me-downs from friends of the family. It was my first attempt at building a PC from scratch and – although by modern standards, it wasn’t much – it was my pride and joy.

Finally owning my own PC gave me the perfect opportunity to tinker with other elements; namely programming in basic languages like Visual Basic. This sparked a fascination with coding and creating. There is nothing greater than watching zeros and ones transform into something active, something animated… something of your own.

Fast forward twenty years and the technology has changed, but the passion has not. More than ever, we rely on smart phones and apps. Whether providing some light relief from an intense day in the office or supporting a particular goal, these small programmes we open with a tap and a flick are a vital part of our eco-systems. But we shouldn’t underestimate their power. Apps have the ability to infinitely improve the lives of their user and this is a core value that is placed at the heart of everything I develop.

Nowadays, if you can name it, there is an app for it! But, even with this saturation, there is still so much more that can be done.